Tel Aviv: Food. People. Stories

Molcho, chef and owner with her four sons of Europe’s Neni restaurant chain, collects Israeli recipes in this enticing cookbook. As inspiration, Molcho and her sons spent two weeks in her birth city of Tel Aviv, interviewing a number of restaurateurs, and collecting and recreating recipes. For example, there is a profile of caterers Yael and Keren Stellegofen who share their recipe for Israeli seafood paella that employs feta cheese and sourdough croutons instead of rice. Other options in the diverse seafood chapter include deep-fried sardines with green aioli, and a focaccia topped with beets, pickled onion, and raw, marinated salmon. An expansive section focusing on vegetable and grains features stewed cabbage with goat cheese and chimichurri as served at chef Asaf Doktor’s eatery, Dok. The comparatively brief chapter of meat dishes includes a shakshuka of merguez sausage, egg, and tomato. Nuriel, the eldest son, serves as the book’s photographer and provides scenes of the busy streets, portraits of the interviewees, and food shots including a pan of coiled, dark orange, char-grilled octopus. The Molcho family’s tantalizing culinary look at Tel Aviv will transport readers. [em](May) [/em]